


Immediate Resolutions

by Lord_Byron_Mudkippington



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Humor, New Year's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Byron_Mudkippington/pseuds/Lord_Byron_Mudkippington
Summary: Dia has a resolution she wants to make for the new year, and she doesn't plan on waiting long to see it through.
Relationships: Kurosawa Dia/Ohara Mari
Comments: 6
Kudos: 52





	Immediate Resolutions

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea AFTER New Years, so that's not great timing. However, New Years WAS six days ago, so I'm not extraordinarily late. Seize your 2020 just like Dia.

Dia sat on the stairs leading down to the beach, her bare feet digging into the sand. She looked up at the night sky, the stars being blinded by the fireworks her friends were shooting up into the black. They exploded in beautiful colors: reds, whites, greens, and blues creating a wonderful visual. Chika and You were laughing as they chased Yoshiko around with sparklers, while Ruby was trying to show Hanamaru how to light a bottle rocket without holding it directly in front of her face. It was a scene of great camaraderie, and she appreciated being able to witness it that night. After how much they had all gone through to get to that point, she knew better than to take it for granted.

She had other things on her mind, though: important things. They were just a few short minutes away from ringing in the new year, and her mind was weighed down with thoughts of resolutions. It had actually been something she'd been thinking of for the past month specifically, but if she was being honest, it had been somewhere in her brain for years now. After all this time of refusing to properly acknowledge it, the truth had body-slammed her repeatedly ever since they had reformed Aqours: she had feelings for Mari.

Her eyes drifted over to the blonde in question, who was sticking multiple huge fireworks into the sand. Dia rolled her eyes, wondering how in the world she had fallen for someone so different than her. Mari was a wild, irresponsible girl, with a free spirit that was pretty much the exact opposite of her own stricter self. There was so much more to her than that, though. She was beautiful, and she stood out in a crowd no matter who she was around. Her generosity and her caring nature for her friends was virtually unmatched. The two of them had their differences over the years, but not once had she felt that Mari wasn't doing something with her best interest at heart. She'd never doubted how much her friend cared for her.

There'd been multiple reasons that she'd repressed her feelings for Mari all this time. They were going to graduate soon, and their lives would take them to different places. Different _countries_ , in fact. Her own family would certainly not approve of her having a relationship that would never bring forth an heir to the Kurosawa name. She'd also wondered plenty of times if she was even worth Mari's time. For someone who was so energetic and out there, could she really slow down and wait for someone like her, who was slower and more deliberate? If Mari realized that she could never run as fast or as far as she always wanted, she would cut her loose and let her fall into the ocean below.

Her thoughts had changed as the new year had approached, though. Graduation would soon be upon them, and all she could think about was how she was going to miss her chance. Mari might leave again for Italy, this time for good, and the two of them would never see each other again. How could she live with herself if she continued to sit on her hands and do nothing when the girl she loved was literally twenty feet away from her? The thought of being rejected hurt, but so did the knowledge that her future could still be Mari-less, and she wouldn't have even tried. If she swung for the fences and missed, at least she would go down swinging. She chuckled to herself, knowing that was the kind of advice that Chika would give her.

"What are you laughing at?" Kanan suddenly appeared on her right, smiling down at her with her usual casual expression. She sat down next to her, stretching out and letting out an exaggerated groan. Dia glanced over at her, slightly embarrassed at having been caught in such a contemplative moment.

"Just thinking." She didn't elaborate, and thankfully Kanan didn't pry any further. The two of them just sat together, watching their friends enjoying themselves. "So, do you have any resolutions for next year?" She wondered if anyone else was really thinking about the upcoming year like she was, or if she was just being overbearing like usual.

"Uh, I guess?" Kanan kicked out at the sand, sending it spewing around their feet. "I was thinking of getting a dolphin for a pet. I could train it to dive with me, and I could teach it tricks and stuff. That'd be cool, right?"

"Kanan, be serious." Dia sighed and rolled her eyes, getting a laugh out of Kanan. She should have known better, since Kanan was always so laissez faire about things like that. 

"Sorry, Dia. I'm just not big on the whole resolutions thing. I'd never keep 'em anyway." Yeah, she expected as much. "What about you? Do you have any?" 

"I do, actually." She didn't want to say what her resolution was to the letter, since that would be embarrassing. However, she could find ways around that. "Starting next year, I want to seize the things that I want. I feel that I hesitate too much, and I stay within the places that make me feel most comfortable. I want to try to break out of that." It was way too easy for her to not make any moves because the thought of failure scared her to death. Failure was weakness, and she didn't want anyone to see her that way. That left her in her comfort zone constantly, with little exploration to her name.

"That sounds like a good resolution." Kanan smiled at her, patting her on the back. "You absolutely should do that." She was right, but it was easier said than done. This was something she was going to really have to make herself do, because she was staring at Mari right now and she felt speechless. It was like everything that was telling her to go and bare her feelings went silent. She was just so beautiful and _free_ : too much of each for someone like her.

"Yeah..." She pulled out her phone, seeing that there was now two minutes left in the new year. The reflection of the fireworks on the water looked amazing. If only she could be as bold and impulsive as those fireworks were: as _Mari_ was. Then there wouldn't be any problems at all. She sighed and put her hands on her cheeks, pressing her elbows into her knees. There was nothing about her that was anything like a firework, though. 

Near the line where the gently lapping waves touched the sand, Ruby was chatting with Yoshiko and Chika. Dia watched them curiously, noticing how happy Ruby looked. Her sweet, socially terrified little sister was talking with people. She was having full-on conversations, and it didn't seem like she was having any trouble. Being in Aqours had really grown her as a person. It made her smile to see Ruby improving herself without her constant guidance. At least one of them was making changes in their lives.

Her insecurities were the only thing holding her back. Physically, she could absolutely just go up to Mari and confess to her. _Anyone_ could do that physically. It was those insecurities and her own mind that was keeping her from trying. Why should it, though? If Ruby could start to break out of her shell, why couldn't she? Was she about to be left behind by her own sister? That wouldn't do at all!

"Dia?" Kanan called after Dia as she stood up and started walking towards Mari. She didn't turn around, though. Her eyes were laser-focused on Mari, who was holding a lighter and chatting amicably with Riko. The two of them turned to look at her as she approached, her face set in stone but her heart hammering wildly in her chest. If she stopped for even a second to question what she was doing, there was a very good chance she would chicken out and retreat to the safety of her insecurities.

"Dia! Here to watch the fireworks?" Mari smiled her bright, shiny smile, holding up her lighter. Dia was transfixed by her smile, frozen to the spot. She had to shake it off, though. This was too important to be spellbound now. 

"Actually, I... I have this resolution..." She bit down on her lip, realizing how awkward she sounded. Gods, was she really going to embarrass herself so thoroughly right as she had gotten the courage to speak her mind? Why was this so dang hard?!

"Oh? Well that's good! Riko was just telling me she was going to resolve to play the piano more." In the background, she could hear Chika shouting that it was almost New Years. She could hear them start to countdown. "Ten! Nine!" Her body was shaking, as if trying to vibrate fast enough to break out of the spot she was standing in. Mari was right there there. She had to tell her.

"I..." She swallowed nervously, the countdown reverberating in her ears. "Eight! Seven!" Why did it feel like she was running out of time when she technically had an entire year to make good on her resolution? The fear that she would miss her chance by taking too long was overwhelming. "Six! Five!" It was irrational to think that way, but she felt as if she would lose her chance forever if she didn't act now. Thinking that way was so unlike her, but Mari often made her feel unlike herself, so that was nothing new.

"Are you okay, Dia?" Mari was looking at her in concern, apparently noticing the struggle playing out on her face. She just needed to act right now. What if she made a mistake, though? If she did something wrong, or Mari didn't like her like that, she would have embarrassed herself in front of all her friends. She would never be able to show her face again at school. She couldn't ever go to Aqours practice again. The downsides to what she wanted to do were so stifling, she wasn't even sure she was breathing anymore.

"Four! Three!" This was a moment where she needed to act on impulse. Unfortunately, she wasn't an impulsive person. She always thought about her every move before making them. This was the kind of thing that she would expect from Kanan, Chika, or Yoshiko. It just didn't feel right for her to do it. She just wasn't that person, but she _wanted_ to be in that moment. If only she could channel Chika and just do it... She closed her eyes, thinking about what Chika would do. The smell of mikans washed over her, infiltrating her nostrils. She could do this!

"Two! One!" Channeling her inner Chika, she grabbed Mari's shoulders and pulled her forward. She could see the burgeoning surprise in her eyes before their faces were pressed together, and her eyes fluttered shut. "Happy New Year!" She could hear fireworks going off, but she wasn't sure if they were real or they were part of her imagination: a creation of her mind to exemplify just how great it felt to kiss Mari.

She kissed Mari with all her might, squeezing her shoulders to keep her in place. The fact that Mari wasn't kissing her back was trying to infiltrate her mind, but she refused to let it in for the moment. It was possible that she had just been shocked into silence, which would be a rarity when it came to Mari. She would just have to believe it, though, or her confidence would completely melt away.

When she finally pulled away, she caught a glimpse of Mari's eyes being closed before they shot back open. She stared at her with her jaw dropped to the sand. Time kept passing, and Mari still remained silent. She looked around, realizing that they were being stared at. Riko, who was still standing next to them, looked like she was about to pass out. The first years were wide-eyed and seemed to be in complete disbelief, and honestly she couldn't blame them. She couldn't really believe it either. The only person who wasn't staring at them was Chika, who was still watching the fireworks. That was, until You forcibly turned her around.

"Huh? What?" She stared at the scene before her, with everyone staring at Dia and Mari, with Dia's face burning bright red. "What'd I miss?" 

"Mari, I... I'm sorry, but I..." Stammering was so unbecoming of her, but she couldn't help herself. It was like she was reverting back to her younger self, back when she first met Mari and would make Kanan speak up for her. "I like you. You've always been so important to me, but I want us to be more than that. I don't know how you feel about me, but..." Why was she doing this in front of everyone? Couldn't she have just taken Mari to a secluded location to admit her feelings? "You're my New Years resolution. I-I mean, to confess to you..." Her eyes dropped down to the sand, her face burning.

"Well, this was unexpected." Mari laughed, pulling Dia's eyes up to her. "So you're serious about this? No joke?" Dia shook her head, wondering just how fast her heart was beating. It felt like she was going through the most intense workout she'd ever put herself through. "Then this is _exciting_!" She bent over and picked up her lighter, which she had dropped in surprise, and ran over to the fireworks that were still sticking out of the sand. "This calls for celebratory fireworks!"

She flicked on the lighter and went down the line, lighting each wick on fire. Then she capped the lighter and ran back to Dia, standing next to her and slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Check this out, babe." Dia blushed at the pet name, but she did as suggested. One after another, all the fireworks launched up in the sky, creating a cornucopia of lights that was truly awe-inspiring. She could hear 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from their friends, and she noticed Ruby filming the display. Mari had really outdone herself this time.

"Happy New Year!" Mari cried out, glancing over at Dia. "Now _I_ have a New Years resolution of my own." Dia tilted her head in confusion, wondering what it was. "I'm getting more kisses from my new girlfriend!" Before Dia could ask something stupid, like who Mari's new girlfriend was, Mari jumped on top of her. That wasn't an exaggeration: she _literally_ jumped on top of her, making Dia squeal ungracefully as they both tumbled down to the sand. She groaned as her back slammed on the ground, but at least it was soft. Also, she was immediately given a distraction by way of Mari's lips crashing against hers.

Now that it was Mari who was kissing her, she became completely unaware of everything else around her. All their friends watching were just background noises, little gasps that were swimming in a void that she didn't care to focus on. What she _did_ care to focus on was how good Mari's lips felt, and how warm her body was lying on top of hers. She wrapped her arms around Mari, holding onto her tightly as she kissed her with everything she had.

_"Oh yes, my legs are shaking with excitement!"_ Those were the first words Mari shouted when the two of them finally had to break apart for air. Dia wasn't a bad student when it came to her English lessons, but she couldn't follow half the words Mari had said. Especially with how fast she had spoken them. She could only hope that none of it was inappropriate.

"So, uh..." Dia was now very much aware of the sand beneath her. It was going to be hell getting it brushed off her clothes, to say nothing of whatever had gotten in her hair. She wanted to lift her head up to avoid any further particles getting caught in her tresses, but that kiss had made even the thought of lifting her head seem too much of a chore. "You... like me too, then?"

"Nooo, I just jump on top of girls and make out with them randomly." Mari laughed, poking Dia's nose when she caught her pouting. " _Is joke_ , Dia! Of course I like you! I just didn't think you felt the same way about me."

"Are you kidding? I've felt like this about you for _years_. I just... wasn't sure you felt the same way about me." So her insecurities had just wasted her time. Mari _did_ like her, which meant she'd been worrying all this time for nothing. That seemed completely feasible, now that she thought about it. Once again, she'd let herself get in the way of what she truly wanted. Maybe she needed to change her resolution to doing _anything_ she wanted without getting caught up in worries over how she was going to perceived. As long as no one was looking at her weird, though...

"Okay, okay, you _both_ weren't sure how the other felt about you." Speaking of people looking at her weird... They both looked up at Kanan, who was staring down at them with a grin. "You two are so cute together." Dia scowled, looking away to try and hide her embarrassment. There wasn't anywhere to hide, though. They were basically surrounded by all their friends. "Confessing under the fireworks. I have to hand it to ya, Dia, I didn't think you had it in ya."

"You- You don't know _everything_ about me," she huffed, blushing when both Kanan _and_ Mari started laughing. "Okay, okay, there's nothing to see here," she said while still having Mari lying on top of her. Looking backwards, she could see Ruby staring at them. Upside down, she saw that the phone she had been using to film the fireworks was still out. "Ruby! Don't film this!"

"S-Sorry!" She yanked down her phone while Dia blushed fiercely. This new year was getting off to a rough start. With a sigh, she looked back at Mari, who was looking back with such a warm smile that she completely forgot about her embarrassment.

"So, will you be my girlfriend?" They both knew the answer, but she was looking down at her so hopefully. This was a question they had both been wanting to ask, but neither had made the move to do so until now. It was funny how that worked.

"Hey, wait, _I_ was the one asking that!" Dia huffed, not wanting to have her own breakthrough usurped. Just because Mari had _her_ own breakthrough too... She thought of it first! It was because _she_ had put herself out there that Mari had come to admit her own true feelings. "Do you want to be _my_ girlfriend?"

"Mm, I dunno..." Mari rubbed at her chin, grinning that grin that let Dia know she was being a teasing little jerk. "I think you would look better as _my_ girlfriend, you know?" It was all in good fun, but it was too bad that Dia was so easy to rile up. A fact that everyone and their grandmother knew all too well.

"Uh, excuse me? Nuh uh! _You_ would look better as _my_ girlfriend!" They probably would've kept arguing until next new years if Kanan hadn't butted in again.

"Dia, Mari, we all love you, but we're dying here. Just kiss each other or I'm throwing you both in the ocean." Dia and Mari looked at each other, knowing that Kanan could absolutely follow through on her threat. Shrugging, they grabbed back onto each other and resumed kissing. This time, there was a cheer from their friends, which was embarrassing, yet slightly flattering.

"So, girlfriends?" Mari asked, this time without the trademarked grin. She was being completely sincere, and that's all Dia needed in that moment.

"Girlfriends." Dia took a moment to sigh with relief, happy to see that her resolution had worked out so stunningly and so immediately. All that worrying had been completely wasteful, and it was a bit frustrating that she'd let it control her for so long. At the same time, it was a lesson learned, and she wouldn't let it continue on any longer. She knew now that fearing failure would leave her without many successes to her name. If she wanted the life that _she_ wanted, then she was going to have to put herself out there more. Now, with Mari smiling down at her, she felt that she could take on the world.

Neither of them felt like getting up again, so they just decided to keep lying there in the sand and get lost in each other's eyes, then their lips. Dia could hear fireworks going off again, and once more she wasn't sure whether they were real or just in her mind. However, she decided that she didn't care. All that she cared about was the softness of the girl on top of her. Her _girlfriend_. This was going to be a great year: she could feel it!


End file.
